Blazers' McMillan wants to earn his pay one year at a time Nate McMillan has long preached to his players that nothing is given around the Trail Blazers, you have to earn it. And, the Blazers coach is putting his money where his mouth is. The Blazers last week picked up a one-year option on McMillan's contract, keeping him in Portland through the 2010-2011 season. But in a rare and and daring move, McMillan said that after his contract runs out in 2011, he will not look to sign a long-term extension with the Blazers. Rather, he will ask only for one-year contracts. One at a time. "I think that's the way it should go," said McMillan, who has been in Portland since 2005. "It might be crazy ... I know my agent thinks I'm crazy. But I think it should be based on your performance. I don't think there is another coach who would say that, and I say that because everybody talks about security. For me, security is knowing you want me to be here, and that I'm doing what I need to do. Not you wondering, 'Why is he here?' Or, 'How are we going to get out of this?' " McMillan made it clear that his one-year-at-a-time stance is based purely on ethics, and is not a reflection of how he feels about Portland and the Blazers. In fact, he said he intends on following in the footsteps of one of his coaching idols, Utah's Jerry Sloan, who has been with the Jazz for 21 seasons. "Some people may say, 'Well, is there somewhere else you want to go?' And I'm like no, this is where I want to be," McMillan said. "For me, having a one-year deal doesn't allow you to slip. I like that. For me, I look for ways to keep myself sharp, and that will certainly keep me sharp." McMillan, who turns 45 next month, has a record of 145-180 in Portland, but has improved by an average of 11 wins in each of the past three seasons. Last season, with the NBA's second youngest roster, the Blazers won 54 games and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2003. "I love his coaching," forward Martell Webster said. "We respect him because he has been to the playoffs as a player and a coach, and all of us want to move forward after getting a taste in the playoffs this year. I think he is the best man for the job in order to get us there." In the summer of 2005, Blazers executives Steve Patterson and John Nash pulled off a stunning hire, luring McMillan from Seattle, where he played for 12 seasons and coached for seven seasons, including the last five as head coach. McMillan signed a five-year deal with Portland, with a team option for a sixth season, with each season paying McMillan around $5 million. It was a daunting task for McMillan, who was taking over a franchise that had become known more for what it did off the court rather than the team's performance on the court. The once loyal fan base had turned its back, leaving the Rose Garden half-empty, which early in McMillan's tenure forced owner Paul Allen to consider selling the franchise. McMillan often admits that he had no idea how bad the situation was until he arrived and took over a team that went 27-55 the year before. In his first season, with Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles and Zach Randolph as the cornerstones, the Blazers won a league-low 21 games. With what he termed "tough love" at the time, he clashed with his team leaders, kicking Randolph out of numerous practices, and suspending Miles for leaving the bench during a game. He soon became known as "Sarge" by his players for his no-nonsense, militaristic style, which included long, hard practices and game plans that focused on defense. As the team's roster and culture changed with the arrival of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge in 2006, so too did McMillan's coaching style. He became less of a shouter and more of a communicator, more apt to bring a player into his office than to stop a practice and scream. Practices were tapered, and often times cancelled, as rewards for hard work. "Part of it is, I've learned from my experience in Seattle," McMillan said. "There, it was push, push, push. I've been able to push here, but I've also learned to communicate. ... I've been a little better at that." He also gained national recognition after serving the past three years as an assistant for the United States Olympic team, which won the gold medal last summer in China. Still, he is most known for taking a down-trodden franchise and returning it to one that is successful on the court and connected with the community off it. "I give the coaching staff that came with me a bunch of credit, because it was hard," McMillan said. "And there were people who wouldn't take this job, because it was a situation that was difficult. But for us, it was a great opportunity, and now we have it going and the thing is, we are going to work our tails off to continue this." -- 去年拒絕球隊提前續約的 Nate 下季將是合約的最後一年 決心要用表現來贏取下一份合約 拋開其他的想法 這點我是很佩服的 當初從超音速用年薪500萬挖角過來(PA好豪氣 無怪西雅圖跟不起) 歷經了聯盟墊底到如今的茁壯 也是陪伴球隊從谷底的一人(Outlaw 嗚嗚~~) 不管如何 最後一年了 Nate 希望這次你不會讓我們失望 -- 大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若沖，其用不窮。 --

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